Portable sprinkler support



May 22, 1934. w. WADSWORTH PORTABLE SPRINKLER SUPPORT Filed Feb. ll, 1933 W WM INVENTOR 41 M W BY I TTORNEYS Eatented May 22, 1934 warren STATES I ATENT OFFEC 2 Claims.

I The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which-- Fig. 1 illustrates a side View of the support with the sprinkler shown in action.

Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the supporting yoke, showing how the sprinkler pipe can be inserted, and

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of the portable W support.

My invention relates to portable supports for sprinklers or spraying devices which must be elevated to great heights for the purpose of sprinkling or spraying trees, such as fruit trees,

W principally for watering purposes. For instance "16- in orange groves it is necessary not only to water the roots of the trees, but it is better to sprinkle the trees from the tops. For this purpose it is necessary to elevate the sprinkler head about 10 to feet above ground and to adjust the sprin- 20 kler pipe to the proper height so that a number of trees can be simultaneously uniformly sprinkled in order to keep the number of sprinkling points for a given grove area as low as possible.

, Various arrangements have been suggested heretofore, such as permanent installations of a number of sprinklers distributed over the grove. Such systems are very expensive and are, owing to their stationary character, quite unfiexible,

w since they cannot be moved into the most desired 36' positions.

It is the object of my invention to provide a portable support, designed so that it may be easily carried from station to station, and that it M may easily be mounted and dismounted, and that irrespective of the uneven ground, the sprinkler will adjust itself in position to throw the water at a uniform range in all compass directions.

For this purpose I provide an open bracket or yoke, as shown in Fig. 2, an open supporting ring 1 as the preferred form, for instance cast of aluminum and equipped with a number of pairs of lugs preferably three in number, to which sockets 5 are articulated in any suitable manner. These sockets are longitudinally split 345 as shown at 6, so that they can be clamped firmly by means of bolts 7 around the ends of poles 8 of suitablelength so as to elevate the ring to the proper height as shown in Fig. 1.

As mentioned before, ring 1 is open at 9 so that the vertical sprinkler pipe 10, which carries the sprinkler head 11 at its upper end, can be inserted into supporting ring 1 after the stand has been set up at the desired sprinkling point. For the purpose of properly supporting pipe 10 on ring 1, a collar 12 is adjustably attached to pipe 10 by means of set screws 13. The underside of this collar has preferably a semispherical contour 14, at which it rests on a suitably shaped rim 15 of supporting ring 1. The lower end of pipe 10 is connectable by a hose to the water mains l6 distributed over the grove.

This manner of supporting the sprinkler head has several distinct advantages, as practical use has shown. First, by being able to carry the stand separately Without the pipe, especially when bamboo poles are used for legs 8, it can be very easily moved by one man from place to place, and the sprinkler pipe 10 can be conveniently set onto its 9 in ring 1 after the stand is erected. Secend, the height of the sprinkler head can be quickly readjusted if necessary, after the stand is set up, by adjusting collar 12 to the proper place on pipe 10 before it is seated. Third, by virtue of the spherical shape of the collar seat, the sprinkler pipe will always adjust itself in vertical position. This is very important for obtaining a uniform range in all directions for the distribution of the water by the sprinkler head.

It becomes, therefore, immaterial whether such a sprinkler support is set up exactly vertically or not, a great advantage on sloping grounds, because even if the stand is set up in a slanting position, the pipe will position, wherein it is assisted also by the weight of the hose. Fourth, due to this construction the pipe is firmly seated so that it may not readily slide out by itself without being lifted by the operator, yet it can be turned on its axis in all directions and may even be tilted by the operator during the sprinkling in case very near or very far individual points should be reached which may not be readily reached with the normal vertical position of the pipe.

I have found in practice that with such an arrangement, and using a reasonable, easily portable length of hose, a given grove area requires the laying of fewer water mains than heretofore necessary, and each main requires relatively fewer outlets to which the hose can be connected, in order to cover the grove area.

While I have illustrated and described an open ring supported by three legs as the preferred practical form of bracket, and the manner of supporting it, I do not wish to limit mystelf to these particular forms. My invention rather involves the general idea of a bracket with any kind of means for portably supporting it in elevated position, the bracket being suitably shaped so that the sprinkler pipe may be easily brought seat 15 through the opening always find its vertical into engagement with the bracket when the latter is elevated, and be freely supported on it in vertical position to afiord the advantages outlined in the foregoing.

For instance, as shown in Fig. 3, the acreage may be provided with a number of suitably distributed sockets 19, sunk into the ground and into which a single pole 18 can be inserted which carries at its upper end a bracket 20 provided at its outer end with an open seat portion, similar to ring 1 shown in Fig. 2, into which the sprinkler pipe is inserted after the pole is set up. If necessary, not not only collar 12 is made adjustable on pipe 10 as shown in Fig. 2, but in Fig. 3 also the bracket 20 may be adjustable on pole 18.

I claim:

1. A portable support for elevated sprinklers or the like, comprising a supporting ring and means for supporting said ring in elevated position, a vertical pipe carrying the sprinkler head at its upper end, a supporting collar adjustably attached to said pipe intermediate its ends, said ring having a gap just wide enough to permit the insertion of said pipe, the inner ring portion being appreciably larger than said gap and having a seat for seating said collar, so that when the collar is seated the pipe is automatically retained in place by gravity, but permitted to rotate on its axis.

2. A portable support for elevated sprinklers or the, like, comprising a supporting ring and means for supporting said ring in elevated position, a vertical pipe carrying the sprinkler head at its upper end, a semispherical supporting collar adjustably attached to said pipe intermediate its ends, said ring having a gap just Wide enough to permit the insertion of said pipe, the inner ring portion being appreciably larger than said gap and having a semispherical seat for seating said collar, so that when the collar is seated the pipe is automatically retained in place by gravity but permitted to rotate on its axis, and to freely swing on the collar seat.

WILLARD WADSWORTH. 

